Modelling the formaldehyde emission from multi-layer work surfaces used in office workstation systems

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from various sources may adversely affect human health, comfort and performance. In particular, formaldehyde has been identified as a major indoor pollutant whose emission is controlled by workstation systems. Engineered wood products such as particleboards have widely been used with wood veneer and laminate to form work surfaces of workstation systems, which is a major formaldehyde emission component. The emission rate of formaldehyde depends on the composition of each material layer, temperature and moisture content in the materials. The objective of this study is to determine the long-term formaldehyde emission characteristics of multi-layer work surfaces such as a wood veneer over a particleboard core. The work comprised experimental and numerical investigation of the emission characteristics. To reproduce the experimental results, a numerical simulation model for coupled heat, air, moisture and pollutant transport in porous materials and wall assemblies was used ¹. A parametric study for the model parameters under consideration, such as the partition coefficient, the diffusion coefficient and the initial formaldehyde content in each material layer showed that all parameters decide about the formaldehyde emissions. In particular, the initial conditions have a major influence on the evolution of the emission factor. It can be concluded that an unambiguous determination of all parameters is difficult since the problem has no unique solution yet. Further research needs can be identified.